The Red Devils have lost three on the bounce against relatively smaller sides after convincingly dispatching Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City; scoring 12 times and conceding 4 in the process. Louis van Gaal’s men struggled to find their rhythm at the start of the season but their performances in April suggested that the Dutch tactician had found the right way to play. However, Manchester United have lost to Chelsea, Everton and West Brom despite dominating possession. The Red Devils have failed to find the back of the net in any of those of games as well. Have United flattered to deceive or this is more of a reality check? Have van Gaal’s decisions been a factor or have their opposition have found a way to stop them? Here are five possible reasons for their poor run of results.
Red Devils Advocate: Reasons for Manchester United’s Poor Form
- THE ABSENCE OF MICHAEL CARRICK
Arguably Man United’s unsung hero for many years, the world has come to see the importance of Michael Carrick to the Red Devils’ setup. Carrick sits in front of the back four and starts most of the Red’s attack. His presence in the midfield allows Ander Herrera to push further up where the Spanish midfielder is more effective. The 33-year old also protects the defense and United have only lost once in the sixteen games he’s started. With United lacking leadership at the back, the organization he brings to the fray suits van Gaal’s tactic of playing from the back. In their last three games, Ander Herrera and Daley Blind have played in the holding role with the latter coming in for criticism following his poor display against Everton.
- THE INFLUENCE OF MAROUANE FELLAINI
The Belgian was victimized in his first season at Old Trafford where the club finished seventh. The midfielder struggled with injuries and looked short of confidence anytime he stepped onto the pitch. He failed to score for United in his debut season but has been a revelation under the new manager. Fellaini was instrumental in the club’s good run of form in April as the club came through a difficult period unbeaten. He was unplayable against Manchester City and caused all sorts of problems for the Citizens. However, Jose Mourinho found a way to lock the Belgian down and Everton and West Brom have used the same approach. In the game against Chelsea, Mourinho played Kurt Zouma in the middle to stifle Fellaini’s attack by marking him tightly thereby taking him out of the game. The Reds kept possession of the ball and Chelsea were happy as long as Fellaini was marked out of the game. Everton and West Brom deployed the same tactics – Man United kept the ball more but couldn’t fashion many clear chances.
- COMPLACENCY
After their defeat to Chelsea, any slim hope of catching Champions-elect Chelsea vanished into thin air and with Liverpool struggling, the Reds had all but secured a top four spot. The defeat to Chelsea was a big blow to their momentum and they have struggled to motivate themselves to cross the finish line. Louis van Gaal, in the post-match interview following his side’s 3-0 defeat to Everton, stated that he was worried about his players’ attitude in the pre-game warm-up. United have always been in the title race and do not have the knack and resilience for a top four battle as their top four rivals and have struggled to push on.
- THE NATURE OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Unlike many other leagues across Europe, teams in Premier League vary in their approach to the game and to be successful in England, you need to be able to mix it up. Chelsea have the ability to play attractive football and also the tenacity when the going gets tough; they have the zest and bite to grind out results. However, van Gaal’s rigid approach and desire to control the tempo of the game makes it difficult for the Reds to create chances against team that defend. A mark about champions is to pick up points when they do not particularly play well and it’s no surprise Mourinho’s side has been labelled as ‘boring’. After ninety minutes, the most important statistic is the score line.
- THE ABSENCE OF PHIL JONES
Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have formed a solid partnership in United’s defence. The English centre-backs have complemented each other nicely and are statistically United’s best centre-back pairing. Paddy McNair has put in a good shift, but his inexperience has led to United conceding some goals. He pulled out of a challenge which led to James McCarthy opening the scoring at Goodison Park. His unnecessary tackle against West Brom at the edge of the box led to the only goal of the game. He will only get better, but the return of Phil Jones will do the Red Devils a lot of good.
With Liverpool yet to face Chelsea, Manchester United are strong favourites to finish in the top four this season and there’s no pressure on them in spite of their poor run of form. With the transfer window set to be opened shortly, the Reds will want to do their business early ahead of a strong title push next season.
